


Litmus Test

by dirty_diana



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Crushes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drunken Shenanigans, Drunkenness, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-04-01
Updated: 2005-04-01
Packaged: 2019-07-02 14:07:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15798099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dirty_diana/pseuds/dirty_diana
Summary: Another voice came over the channel, words spoken between rough laughter. "Maybe we can dress Garcia up like Dr. Weir. That way, Major Sheppard won't even notice she's gone."





	Litmus Test

**Author's Note:**

> for blueskypenguin in the lantisficathon, who requested Ford/Weir and stuff. I did what I could, which I fear wasn't much. Aiden, Elizabeth, and cliches, 

Airman Aiden Ford. Ford tried the sound out aloud, underneath his breath, in between colourful cursing. He was pretty sure he was going to be demoted by morning. Assuming Major Sheppard didn't just raise his P-90 and shoot him on sight, which was looking more and more likely.

Ford turned the corner, shone his flashlight through the darkness, and sighed.

"Ma'am?"

No answer, just the corridor echoing his own words back at him. The sprawling, unlit halls of Atlantis all looked the same. It made Ford long for highways, road signs, the Dunkin' Donuts just off the main road that let him know that he was less than five miles away from the mountain.

"Ma'am? Dr. Weir?"

Nothing.

"Elizabeth?"

Still nothing.

With a sigh, Ford tapped his radio. "Garcia? Any luck?"

"No, sir." Sergeant Garcia's voice came through the radio, loud and clear.

"Great."

Another voice came over the channel, words spoken between rough laughter. "Maybe we can dress Garcia up like Dr. Weir. That way, Major Sheppard won't even notice she's gone."

Garcia said something very rude in response.

"Very funny," Ford drawled, slowly enough to indicate that he didn't think it was funny at all.

"Would be," Sergeant McCann agreed, "if the major had left me in charge."

"Keep looking. She's gotta be here somewhere."

"Ten-four." The laughter died down, and trailed off.

Ford turned a corner, and lifted his flashlight again, squinting as the brightness hurt his eyes. When he stepped forward, his foot kicked something heavy that skidded across the floor, not stopping until it hit the wall. Ford tilted his light downwards. The filament bulb reflected light off neatly polished black leather. Dr. Weir's left shoe.

"Dr. Weir?" His voice bounced again into the darkness. "Elizabeth?"

He could have sworn he heard laughter from the end of the hallway, and then a door slammed shut.

Airman Aiden Ford. Major Sheppard was going to be so, so pissed.

At the end of the hallway, a door slid open when he touched it. The room was tiny, some sort of storage space, he guessed. Ford almost didn't see her, standing silent in a corner of the room.

Dr. Weir screamed. Ford almost reached for his hip, remembered that he wasn't armed, and then reached out to grab her, pulling her down for cover, one hand curled at the back of her head, the other barely slowing her descent to the floor.

"Ow," she murmured softly. She was shaking.

"Sorry," Ford said, lifting his head to glance around the room. No movement, no sound, save for his heart beating a little faster. "Um..."

"I thought I heard something," Dr. Weir said, apologetically.

"Right," Ford nodded. He stood, and then reached out one hand, helping her sit up, with a laugh and a stumble. "The Athosians do this for fun, huh?"

There weren't a lot of opportunities to prove yourself in the Pegasus Galaxy. Or there were, but none of them were the kind you'd want. Ford had thought he'd had a chance. With Major Sheppard off world, Ford had been pretty sure this was his thing.

"Just dial me if there's anything," Sheppard had said. "Make sure Bates doesn't have an attack of paranoia and try to lock the whole city down. And make sure McKay doesn't blow anything up."

"Done, sir."

Under control, Ford had thought. But Major Sheppard hadn't said anything about needing to prevent the scientists from gathering in Zelenka's lab and pouring about a gallon of the Athosians' ceremonial harvest wine.

Slight hallucinogenic properties. Teyla had mentioned that. But not until after, hiding a smile she didn't think was appropriate.

"I should get you back to Dr. Beckett," Ford said. "He'll want to..."

"No."

"But..."

"No," Dr. Weir repeated, stubborn as a child. Under the bright yellow of his light, she was flushed bright pink, Athosian harvest wine probably still dulling the flow of oxygen to her brain.

"It's not that far," he said. "We'll go slowly."

"No."

Ford sighed. He sat down beside her. "How are you feeling?"

She frowned, pulling her knees close to her chest as she did a mental inventory. "Cold," she said finally. "And a little hungry."

"I could get you a blanket," Ford said, uncertainly.

"Could you?" Dr. Weir asked, and she was already half of her old self, managing to make it sound slightly as if he didn't really have a choice.

Ford frowned.

"I promise not to go anywhere," she said.

He nodded, then stepped outside. The door to the storage space slid soundlessly shut behind him.

He returned as quickly as he could, with blankets, bottles of water, and the wrapped snacks he'd managed to steal from the commissary. Dr. Weir was sitting exactly where he had left her, hands folded quietly on her knees. She looked up at him.

"Are we camping out?" she asked.

Ford didn't answer her, sitting down and tossing her the blankets as he placed the food neatly on the ground. "I wasn't sure what you like." 

She surveyed the spread, finally picking up a muffin, filled with the sticky yellow fruit that fell off the trees on the mainland. Unwrapping it slowly, with surprising steady hands, eyes bright as she concentrated.

Ford watched her. "So..." he asked finally, "what is it like?"

"What's what like?" Dr. Weir asked him.

He waved his hand expansively, a little embarrassed.

"Oh." In between bites, she pushed messy hair off her face, and shrugged. "It's a little like a whoosh. Or a whish, maybe. But pretty disorienting."

"Like going through the stargate?"

"I wouldn't have used that example," she said, "but maybe."

Ford clicked his light on and off with a restless right thumb, as he watched her eat. "Sorry," he said quietly.

She wrinkled her nose as she chewed. It made her look like a squirrel. "Sorry for what, Lieutenant?"

"I...you...you're going to have quite a headache in the morning."

"I feel fine."

"Yeah, but..."

Dr. Weir giggled, and then widened her eyes as if surprised at herself, and covered her mouth. "I won't tell Major Sheppard," she said. "In fact, the less anyone hears of this, the better, I think."

Ford nodded. Then shook his head, then nodded again. That hadn't been what he'd meant. "I mean..." he began, off-kilter.

"I'm fine," she said.

"Oh."

"I really am."

"Oh," he said again.

"Still a little cold, though," she added, and moved closer to him, still tightening the blanket.

Ford patted her arm, hoping it was reassuring, and then stilled in surprise as her head came to rest on his shoulder. "Maybe a little rest would help," he said.

"Maybe," she agreed.

Ford swept his flashlight once more over the dark space, but found nothing new hiding there. 

~fin.


End file.
